Freezing winds and lashing rain for the weekend

Just as we thought we may have left the winter well and truly behind it appears the mixed weather we've had for the last few days will spiral into a deluge of cold, freezing winds and lashing rain for the weekend.

Even though two bands of rain are steadily soaking the country, it’s set to get much worse with thunderstorms, a sharp to severe frost and heavy rain, hail or sleet expected.

Met Éireann says the west will suffer the worst of the showers, with some thunderstorms predicted.

The weekend forecast offers little respite with Met Éireann’s forecasting “some sunny spells”, before the dire prediction of “further showers … many heavy and some of hail, with sleet on hills and a few thundery downpours”.

Met Éireann meteorologist Gerry Murphy said there would be hail and heavy thundery rain showers over the weekend, and sleet on the hills.

“It’s very cold, especially tomorrow, temperatures only between 5 and 8 degrees and that’s well below normal for the first week in April,” he said.

“Having said that, that is not unusual for April.”

Mr Murphy said Saturday night would bring frost as temperatures are expected to drop between 0 to -3 degrees, adding that Sunday would be “not quite as cold” with temperatures rising a little to between 5 and 9 degrees.

“Rain is going to push up from the south on Sunday. It’s uncertain how far north it will go but there’s certainly a good chance of rain over much of the southern half of the country and parts of Connacht,” he said.